boots



l 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.. J. ROOTS.

(No Model.)

OIL LAMP.

Patented Sept. 14, 1886.

(No Model.) 2i Sheets-Sheet; 2.

,J. ROOTS.

OIL LAMP.

No. 349,262. 'Patentecl Sept. 14, 1886.

Q 1m or efameafloo a.

UNITED STATES.

I PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES ROOTS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

OIL-LAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,262, datedSeptember 14, 1886.

Application filed April To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMEs Roors, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at London, England, have invented new and usefulImprovements in the Construction of Oil-Lamps, (for which I haveobtained patents in the following countries: Great Britain, No. 3, 394,bearing date March 16, 1885; France, N 0. 172,325, bearing date November17, 1885, and in Belgium, No. 71,239, bearing date December 15, 1885,)of which the following is aspecification.

The object of this invention is the construc-' tion of lamps that aredesigned to throw the light downward without a shadow, for by thepeculiar construction of the lampthe flame is projected downward ordownward and laterally by means of a downward current of heated air. Thesupply of oil from the reservoir, which is generally annular, in whichcase it surrounds the lamp, is conveyed laterally by means of wick casing or tubing to the burner, which is placed at or about the center of thelamp and projects downward. Various forms of burner may be used. Theair-supply is ad mitted through perforations, passes along channels or atube above the flame to the burner, descending with the flame, then,ascending, passes round and by the air channels or tube, and finallyascends the chimney in the center.

In the lamps for railway-carriage roofs the lamp has a suitablecovering, to prevent the flame being affected by currents of air. Thusthe outer air, passing through the tubes or channels and perforatedmetal so heated by the flame below it, and through the perforated meta-lwithin it, is continually gathering heat preparatory to its deflectionupon the flame, after which it heats the incoming air in theair-channels. A reflector is used which may with the glass or globe formthe flame-chamher. The cap or cone of the burner may be made with doublewall, or with perforations, so that air may reach the flame after it haspassed through the cap. The chimney may consist of one tube or channelor may be made of two ormore tubes or channelsterminating in oneabove'the airway. To obtain greater durability, (for the wick does notlast long under the great heat evolv'ed,) I construct a burner 5, 1886.Serial K019184167. (No model.) Patented in England March 16, 1885, No.3,394; in France November 17, 1885, No. 172,325, and in Belgium December15, 1885, No. 71,239.

having within it layers or rolls of fine wiregauze or perforated metal.The oil in its pas sage through the strata of gauze is heated and finelydivided, as in a wick, and burns either from small perforations ordirectly from a surg face of gauze. \Vherc the burner is below the levelof the oil, or the reservoir, I use a tube, one end of which is abovethe level of the oil and the other below it. The tube carries a lengthof absorbent material which is partly in the oil and partly within thetube. The oil thus by capillary attraction ascends the absorbentmaterial and descends it by gravitation, pass in g along the absorbentmaterial, and reaches the burner in regular quantities, alter the mannerof a siphon-filter. The end of the absorbent material in the oil may beattached to a float, to better regulate the supply by keeping its endcontinuously at the same distance from the end of the tube. A cock withone, two, or more small perforations in it, or a scrcwvalve, may be usedto further regulate the supply. Thus, whatever the level of the oil, thesupply maybe made regular and constant, and there is no leakage into theglobe or glass. Plates of metal may be placed within the res 'ervoir toprevent the rush of oil to one part when tilted, or, in the case ofrailway-can riages, when starting or stopping.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a duplexlamp embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the burner andheating-chamber. Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional elevations of alamp,illustrating certain modifications hereinafter referred to. Fig. 5shows a bracketlamp having only one wick. Fi 6 illustrates theapplication of a single wick to-a railwaycarriage-roof lamp. Fig. 7shows a single-wick lamp with the oil-reservoir inclosed therein. Fig. 8is a bottom plan View of the burner, cap, and deflector.

In Fig. 1, Ais an annular reservoir. B is a joint for the purpose ofsecurely attaching the wick-cases to the reservoir. 0 is the wick caseor burner; D, a cylindrical cap or covering of the burner, having twonarrow curved perforations or slots in it, which are immediately belowthe ends of the wicks. E is the air-way channel or tube, through whichthe air passes from the exterior to the central or Fri heating chamber.F is the lower part of the chimney, fitting closely onto the reflector,forming a chamber containing the central heating-cliainber andair-channels thereto. G is the chimney. H is the central or air-heatingchamber. I is a trap or slide valve,which is opened on first lightingthe lamp to create a draft. J is a toothed wheel or pinion for thepurpose of regulating the light. K is the frame attaching the centralparts of the lamp to the chain or suspcnder. L is the reflector. M isthe glass or globe. The oil-supply passes along the wick-case G to theburner. On lighting the lamp the flames ascend through the tap or valveLwhich. is opened, causing a current of air up the chimney G. I is thenclosed, when the flames immediately turn downward and burn through theapertures or slots in D. The air to supply the flame passes, as thearrows indicate, through perlorations at the en trance of the air waysor channels E into the central chamber, H. It then passes with the flamethrough the apertures in D, the force of the current projecting theflames downward into the globe or glass M. The heated air, with theproducts of combustion, then ascends into F, passing round and by thecentral chamber, H, and its air-channels E, heating them in its passageto the chimney G. Thus the heated ascending outgoing air in F is made.to heat the incoming air in E and H, producing a more perfect combustionand an intenscr light. The light is, moreover, a downward light,throwing its rays downward without a shadow. Air may also be admitted tothe lamp, through pertorations in the reflector I1, with the object ofchecking the conduction of heat to the glass or globe M.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the burner and heating chamber in Fig. 1, in whichthe same letters apply to the same details of construction. This lamp isprovided with two flat wicks; but by placing three or four wicks closetogether or at equal distances, the flame will be circular, or nearlyso. There {may be any number of wicks to the burner. The wicks may be ofasbestus or of the ordinary material.

Fig. 3shows another form ot'suspended lamp, in which the burner is belowthe level of the reservoir,and the supply of oil to the burner G is bythe tube N, carrying alength of capillary absorbent material, which iscontinued in the tube I. Q is ascrew cock or valve for the purpose ofregulating thesuppl y of oil to the burner 0, which is annular. The airenters at the sides E to the heating-chamber H, passes down the iiwertedcap 1), down the sides of and through the center 01' the burner G,supplying the flame. The burner O is packed with fine wiregauze, and theflame proceeds from the surface of gauze. The air that passes throughthe center of the burner,im pinging on the deflector or button 0,spreads the flame laterally outward, as shown. The products ofcombustion then heating the air-ways E and central chamber, H, ascendsthe chamber F and chimney G. The chamber F may be formed of two or moretubes, E H, (see Fig. 7,) to convey the products of combustion to thechimney G in either form of lamp.

In Fig. 4 also the burner is below the level of the reservoir, and theoil is conveyed downward to the burner by two or more wicks with intubes or casing to the ln1rnerC,whieh is an nular, and the button 0deflects the flame laterally, as in Fig. 2. Q is the screw cook or valveregulating the supply. S are floats attached to the wick ends andpivoted on the ends of the tubes N, for the purpose of keeping the wickends at the same distance from the tube ends,whatevcr the level of theoil, and thus better regulating the supply that siphons over to theburner by capillary attraction. T are connecting-wires (which may beattached to floats S) for the purpose of lifting them at will from theoil to stop the supply to the burner.

This arrangement of circular burner formed of two or more wicks maybeequally well applied in a lamp with the burner above the reservoir,although shown below.

Fig. 5 shows a bracket-lamphaving only one wick,in which theheating-chamber H has but one air-channel E. The reservoir rests on thebracket It,fro1n which arms project to support the lamp. In amodification ot' the single airway it projects by tubing from thereflector into the globe M. The cap or cone is at the lower end of theair-tubc,and projects the flame more laterally. The burner is below thereservoir, and is supplied by siphonage, as described.

Fig. 6 shows the application of the singlewick form of my invention to arailway-carriage-root'lamp, although either of them may be equally wellapplied to this purpose,and the reservoir A may be placed either outsidethe lamp or inside the lamp, as shown at Fig. 7.

Fig. 8 shows a bottom plan view of burner, cap, and deflector. It willbe observed that the flame or flames,whether from the wick or gauzeburner lamp,always burns downward by means of the downward current ofheated air obtained by the described construction.

The lamps are applicable for every purpose for which ordinary lamps areused, but particularl y for railway-carriage-root' lamps, and either ofthe lamps described is applicable for this purpose.

lVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a lamp, the combination of the oil-res crvoir, the dependingburner, the wick-tube, the globe, the annular reflector surrounding theburner, the heating-chamber H, and the chimney, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a lamp, the combination, with an oilreservoir, a globe, a chimney,and an annular reflector, 01' a downward]y-turned wick-tube andadepending burner, said burnm'beingsun rounded by the globe and annularreflector, whereby the flame is projected downward and a shadow avoided,substantially as described.

3. In a lamp, the combination, with an oilreservoir, a globe, a chimney,and an annular reflector, of a wick-tube, a depending burner, and adeflector located beneath said burner, whereby the flame is projecteddownward and laterally, substantially as described.

4. In a lamp, the combination of an oil-reservoir, a wick-tube, a burnerdepending beneath the level of the oil-rese1yoir, a globe, an annularreflector perforated for the passage of air, a central heatingchamber,an air-inlet chamber, and a chimney, substantially as described.

5. In a lamp, the combination of an oil-reservoir, a downwardly-turnedwick-tube, a circular depending burner, a globe, an annular reflectorsurrounding the burner, and a ehim ney, substantially as described.

6. In an oil-lamp, the combination of an oilreservoir, a wick-tube, adepending burner, an annular air-inlet chamber, and a central heating-ehamber located above the burner, an annular reflector surroundingthe burner,a globe, and a chimney, substantially as described.

7. In a lamp, the combination of an oil-reservoir, a depending burner, aglobe, and an annular reflector surrounding said burner, a wick-tubethrough which the oil ascends from the reservoir and descends to theburner, and

means for regulating the oil-supply, substano tially as described.

8. In a lamp, the combination of an oil-reservoir, a downWardly-turnedwick-tube, a depending burner, an annular reflector surrounding saidburner, a globe, a chimney, an air-in- 3 5 let chamber, and a centralvalved heating-chamber located abotge the burner, substantially asdescribed.

9. In a lamp, the combination of an annular oil-reservoir, awiclc-tube,a depending burner, 40 the cap D, central heating ehamber, H, airinletchamber E, an annular reflector perforated for the passage of air, aglobe, and a chimney, substantially as described.

10. I11 a lamp, the combination, with the 4 5 'oil reservoir, burner,Wick-tnbe, and wick, of

a float attached to said wick and provided with means for raising itabove the level of the oil in the reservoir, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereto signed my 50 name in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JAMES ROOTS.

Witnesses:

E. M. RIDGWAY, Sjfinster, TOB. G. RIDGWAY, Notary Public, Both 0fl9Change Alley, E. 0., London, England.

